Former residence of Xu Xiake, Historical residence in Jiangyin, China.
The Former Residence of Xu Xiake is a traditional Ming Dynasty mansion with multiple inner courtyards, carved stone elements, and exhibition halls. The rooms display geographical records, maps, and objects related to his extensive travels and observations.
Xu Xiake left this residence at age 22 to spend three decades exploring and mapping the geography of 16 Chinese provinces. His detailed observations became foundational to geographical knowledge of his era.
Stone inscriptions throughout the rooms display passages from Xu Xiake's travel journals, showing how Ming Dynasty explorers documented their discoveries. They reveal the methods and mindset of geographers from that era as they recorded what they observed.
The site offers educational displays, guided tours, and multimedia presentations explaining geographical and cartographic techniques of the period. The residence is best visited during warmer months when the courtyards are comfortable to walk through.
Original manuscripts and maps inside reveal how Xu Xiake identified the source of the Yangtze River, solving a major geographical question of his time. These documents offer a direct window into his working methods and thinking process.
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